New Orleans

Overview

Our New Orleans office, home to one of the finest ERISA litigation practices in the U.S., combines the “powerhouse” that is our Labor & Employment Department with the ease and familiarity of working with a local office that understands our clients’ needs. Led by Howard Shapiro, known nationwide as "the ultimate bet-the-company lawyer," this team has been lauded by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 United States, The Best Lawyers in America, The National Law Journal, Martindale-Hubbell, New Orleans City Business, New Orleans Magazine, Lawdragon and Human Resource Executive.

Our ERISA litigation practice is consistently noted as a leader in its field, having represented clients such as Chevron, Entergy, Foot Locker, Sprint Nextel, Viacom, Sanofi, Citigroup, Honeywell, Fidelity and Bausch & Lomb. In addition, we represent numerous pension funds regarding losses related to Madoff investments. The team works closely with its colleagues in our offices around the U.S. to form the go-to practice that led to Proskauer being named as one of the top three firms nationwide for Labor & Employment Litigation by The American Lawyer.

Clients turn to us not only for our ERISA litigation, arbitration and mediation capabilities — which range from defending class actions to individual lawsuits in matters that include claims for benefits, breaches of fiduciary duty, actions challenging investment decisions, and losses to executive compensation — but also our day-to-day counseling abilities in all things ERISA. As a result, Chambers USA gives our practice its top ranking, calling us an “ERISA litigation juggernaut” and our lawyers’ breadth of knowledge “truly astounding.”

We also excel in labor and employment law, both in litigation and counseling. We are recognized for the successful defense of complex litigation matters in jurisdictions across the country, both single-plaintiff cases and class and collective actions. Our experience includes defending claims brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination and Employment Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, in addition to wage and hour claims filed pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act and state laws. We handle regulatory investigations initiated by the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as matters involving non-compete and non-solicitation clauses, breach of contract allegations, and whistleblower investigations.

In the area of traditional labor law, we have vast experience in collective bargaining negotiations, unfair labor practice allegations, 10(j) injunctions, decertifications, elections, and other matters before the National Labor Relations Board. Additionally, we help clients to navigate federal and state labor laws by advising on regulatory compliance issues as well as internal practices and procedures. Our goal in every situation is to devise practical solutions to our clients’ human resource problems by employing creative strategies to achieve their desired results, while simultaneously working to avoid litigation.